Example Sentences#

1. 아름다움 보여 줘, 사라지기 전에¹
   Show me beauty before it fades away

   • 주다 means ‘to give’.
   • -어 주다 is a grammar pattern where 주다 is used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that the action is done for someone else’s benefit.
   • 어 is a casual imperative ending used in informal speech.

2. 앨리스: “여기서 어느 쪽으로 가야 할지 말씀해 주시겠어요?”²
   Alice: “Would you please tell me which way I should go from here?”

   • 주다 means ‘to give’.
   • -여 주다 is a grammar pattern where 주다 (to give) is used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that the action is done for someone else’s benefit.
   • (으)시 is an honorific marker used to show respect to the subject of the verb.
   • -겠 is a suffix indicating an indirect polite proposal with some degree of future supposition.
   • 어요 is a polite ending used in informal polite speech.

3. 푸른 바람이 말해 주는 것 같아³
   It feels like the blue breeze is whispering

   • 주다 means ‘to give’.
   • 여 주다 is a grammar pattern where 주다 is used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that the action is done for someone else’s benefit.
   • 는 is a present tense modifier that makes the preceding statement function as an adnominal phrase describing the following noun.

4. 다들 힘들게 사는데, 서로 도와주고 이해하면서 조금씩 변해가는 게 너무 좋았어.⁴
   While everyone lives with difficulty, I really liked how they help each other, understand each other, and gradually change.

   • 도와주다 means ‘to help’. It is formed by combining 돕다 (to help) with the pattern -아 주다, where 주다 (to give) adds the nuance of doing the action for someone else.
   • 고 is a connective ending used to link two actions or states, meaning ‘and’.

5. 그곳에서 한 농부가 맹인에게 포도 한 송이를 건네주었다.⁵
   There, a farmer handed a bunch of grapes to the blind man.

   • 건네주다 means ‘to hand over’ or ‘to pass’. It is formed by combining 건네다 (to hand over) with the pattern -어 주다, where 주다 (to give) adds the nuance of doing the action for someone else.
   • 었 is a past tense marker.
   • 다 is a plain narrative ending used in writing to state facts or narrate events.

6. 그때 나이 든 스님은 아무 말 없이 여자를 들어 강을 건너게 도와주고, 다른 쪽에 내려놓은 후 다시 길을 떠났다.⁶
   At that moment, the old monk picked up the woman without a word, helped her cross the river, set her down on the other side, and resumed the journey.

   • 도와주다 means ‘to help’ or ‘to assist’. It is formed by combining 돕다 (to help) with the pattern -아 주다, where 주다 (to give) adds the nuance of doing the action for someone else.
   • When combined with -게, it forms 건너게 도와주다, which translates to ‘help (someone) to cross’.
   • -고 is a connective ending used to link two actions or states, meaning ‘and’, or to join the main verb to auxiliary verbs.

7. 잊으라 했지만 기억해주길⁷
   I told you to forget, but hoped you’d remember.

   • 기억하다 means ‘to remember’.
   • -여 주다 is a grammar pattern where 주다 (to give) is used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that the action is done for someone else’s benefit.
   • -길 is a contraction of -기를, where -기 is a nominalizer and 를 is the object marker. It is often used to express a wish or hope, as it implies an unspoken verb like 바라다 (to wish or hope).

8. 진실을 보여 줘, 길을 잃기 전에¹
   Show me truth before I lose my way

   • 주다 means ‘to give’.
   • -어 주다 is a grammar pattern where 주다 is used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that the action is done for someone else’s benefit.
   • 어 is a casual imperative ending used in informal speech.

9. 지수: 그치, 그 두 사람 다 상처가 많았는데, 그냥 옆에 있어 주는 것만으로도 힘이 되는 게 보여서 좋았어.⁴
   Jisoo: Right, both of those people had many wounds, but it was good to see that just being by their side was enough to give them strength.

   • 주다 means ‘to give’.
   • -어 주다 is a grammar pattern where 주다 (to give) is used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that the action is done for someone else’s benefit.
   • 는 is a present tense modifier that makes the preceding phrase function as an adjective.

10. 오래오래 행복하게 살아줘⁷
    Live long, long happy lives.

    • 살다 means ‘to live’.
    • -아 주다 is a grammar pattern where 주다 (to give) is used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that the action is done for someone else’s benefit.
    • 어 is a casual imperative ending used in informal speech.

11. 태민: 응, 말 없이도 서로 힘이 되어 주는 게 진짜 감동이었지.⁴
    Taemin: Yes, it was really touching that they could be a source of strength for each other even without words.

    • 주다 means ‘to give’.
    • -어 주다 is a grammar pattern where 주다 adds the nuance of doing the action for someone else’s benefit.
    • 는 is a present tense modifier that makes the preceding statement function as an adnominal phrase describing the following noun.